Food pantry traffic high at St. Vincent’s

Visitors are using the food pantry at the church of St. Vincent De Paul in record-breaking numbers. This month, the director at the neighborhood food pantry expects even more visits than last month. The families served here live right in the heart of the city in and around the Pine Hills neighborhood.

The Church of St. Vincent de Paul/Kelly Cunningham

The food pantry at the corner of Madison Avenue and Partridge Street, provided nearly 8,000 people with food and supplies in 2010, a 13 percent increase over the prior year. The food pantry helped a record number of people just last month, in October, serving 300 households and more than 800 individuals. This month, pantry operators expect the numbers to grow even more.

“November is usually the busiest month of the year,” said Nancy Calkins, director of the food pantry. She estimated that the numbers would be higher than October’s. If demand in this month and next keep pace with October, Calkins said the number of households served in 2011 could grow by as much as 700 over 2010′s figures.

Ever since 1983, the year the food pantry opened, the number of people served has continued to grow. With help from Calkins and volunteers the food pantry assists many families with at least a three day supply of food. The items that are available at the food pantry include non- perishable goods, fresh fruits and vegetables, breads, meats, dairy, sweets, and extra supplies such as paper towels, dish detergent, diapers, and school supplies.

Food Pantry entrance/Kelly Cunningham

First time clients must register, and meet the requirement to live within a particular radius of the pantry. Calkins and her staff are able to distinguish which local food pantry the client is eligible to attend in his or her neighborhood based on street addresses.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. consumers line up outside the entrance on the eastern side of the food pantry to wait for its opening.

“There’s always a line out the door when I walk by, I always wondered what it was for,” said Ebony Smith, a local resident of Yates Street.

Consumers who visit are recorded in the computer system where the volunteers are able to access the number of individuals in each household, the address and the last time of attendance. Clients are only permitted to attend the food pantry once a month. They are given a choice of goods to pick from while volunteers bag and sort requests.

Food pantry entrance sign/Kelly Cunningham

“If someone doesn’t want a main dish we try to substitute it, many clients are immigrants and some have dietary restrictions,” said John Rausch, a pantry volunteer.

The volunteers supply consumers with bags of food based on the size of the household. A basic bag supplies one or two individuals and contains cereal, spaghetti sauce, tuna, soup, vegetables, fruit, beans, pasta, toilet paper and a bar of soap. If visitors have a larger family including children, depending upon the size, a family bag is provided. These bags contain paper towels, dish soap, oil and children’s supplies such as formula and diapers.

The food pantry often receives donations of food, however, a monetary donation is encouraged instead because of the amount of food needed. Grants from the state Department of Health help the food pantry access food throughout the year for consumers. An order is placed twice a month with the Regional Food Bank in Latham, where many of the canned good come in cases and bulk. Food Pantry for the Capital District is also another important provider; they provide other services such as trucks to transfer goods from the food bank back to the food pantry.

Shelved inventory at the food pantry/Kelly Cunningham

About 99% of the food received at St. Vincent’s food pantry is supplied by the Regional Food Bank, however, “most donations are made through organizations for the food pantry,” said Rausch. The United States Postal Service is one organization that provides many donations throughout the year.

The variety of food available this year has fluctuated because of the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. Some produce is not making it to market because of weather damage. “Farmland has been effected by the hurricane, we’ve had to substitute. What we have depends on what the food bank has,” said Rausch.

In addition to an inventory of food and supplies, the pantry also helps clients apply for health insurance and food stamps if they are eligible.

“We try to connect them to a health insurance plan if they aren’t currently enrolled,” said Calkins.

Hunger Awareness Week article on March 17, 1986/Maria Kessler McShane

Around the time the food pantry opened, stories of hunger were prevalent in the news. In the late 1980’s The College of Saint Rose arranged a Hunger Awareness Week which ran from April 7 through the 12th. This was organized by the Student Association, the campus minister and the Peace and Justice Committee in coalition with Church World Services.

Hunger has been the leading cause of deaths in some countries and has been an ongoing battle throughout the United States. During that drive 25 years ago, money was collected throughout the week long awareness program to help those affected. Some 75% of the donations then were distributed to different parts of the world while 25% of the donations stayed in Albany to help local families and individuals who battled hunger.

Here at the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, individuals who are served by the pantry live right in the Pine Hills and its outskirts. “We serve our neighbors” Calkins said. -30-